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With only a week to go before the big day, there are a number of Festive themed and Christmas Classics on offer on RTE and TG4 says our movie guy, James Finnegan…
Like the majority of franchise film sequels, there is an inevitable law of diminishing returns. In The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (6.35pm Saturday RTE One), Santa (Tim Allen) has his Christmas preparations disrupted by the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short) who wants to sabotage the toy factory.
This is because he is jealous that he does not have his own special occasion, unlike all the other childhood legends such as Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Mother Nature.
This is full of slapstick fun and will entertain the little ones, while the adults get on with the festive preparations.
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There are some who believe that Christmas does not really begin until the baddies take over the Nakatomi Building in Die Hard (9.10pm Saturday RTE2).
All New York Cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) wants for Christmas is to reconnect with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) and their family.
Her work Office Christmas party is happening, but McClane quickly realises that the building has been taken over by armed men, led by a ruthless Hans Gruber, played with career defining relish by Alan Rickman.
Alone and with only his street smarts, a white vest and a colourful command of one liners, the resourceful McClane must find the real motives of the baddies, stop them and reunite with his wife, and all before Christmas Day.
Directed by John McTiernan, this is now considered by some as one of the greatest action films, as well as one of the best Christmas films. We’ve come a long way from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.
In Scent of a Woman (Saturday 9.30pm TG4), a shy college student, Charlie (Chris O’Donnell) in need of funds, agrees to look after a blind, hard drinking war veteran, Colonel Frank Slade, played to Oscar winning heights by Al Pacino, while his family are away for the weekend.
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However, the Colonel has his own ideas on how to spend the weekend and intends it to be one final adventure before ending it all.
Also starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bradley Whitford and Gabrielle Anwar, and directed by Martin Brest, watch out for the tango scene, especially if you are already having Strictly withdrawal symptoms.
Another Christmas Classic is Love Actually (9.30 Sunday RTE1) where eight couples are trying to deal with their interlinked lives and relationships as best they can, but as is the best traditions of Christmas films, Love rarely, if ever, runs smooth.
Written and directed by Richard Curtis, and starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman (again!), Colin Firth, Keira Knightley among others, this is a wallowing treasure.
Just a quick shout out to the Quentin Tarantino fans to note, Inglourious Basterds (Sunday 9.00pm RTE2) and Pulp Fiction (Monday 9.30 TG4).
Not many Christmas sentiments however! Enjoy and stay safe!
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